Big Love and the American Dream

HBO's Big Love is about as much a commentary on polygamy as The Sopranos is on the ethics of organized crime. Certainly a polygamist family, and the contradictions and conflicts of the Mormon faith make an interesting setting and launching point for a drama, those are merely secondary. If one wanted to gain insight into that culture, I would strongly suggest reading Jon Krakhauer's Under the Banner of Heaven. Big Love's brilliance lies in its ability to fuck with your expectations, challenging your preconceived notions. Your feelings on actual polygamists are pretty irrelevant in this viewing situation, as the overriding goal is to challenge your feelings on any race, religion or lifestyle different from your own. It would be a critic's cliche to refer to post-9/11 America, but this first decade of the 21st century will be defined by a series of events that pulled back the curtain, de-frauding the so-called "American dream."

We are supposed to despise Bill (Bill Paxton) for living a lifestyle we consider sexist and backwards. We are supposed to wonder how low the self-respect of his three wives may be to choose such a life for themselves. Yet, we come to find three strong, intelligent women who are bonded to one another - not just competing sex slaves for their husband. In fact, they refer to being "married" to one another, in an almost feminist fashion. Furthermore, as Bill battles his share of hypocrites, he becomes a metaphor for the average working class American. He's simply fighting for what he believes to be right - what he's been taught as what's right - only to face constant challenges from those who want to manipulate and co-opt "the word" to their own advantage.